Projects

The Centre for Law, Religion and Society (CLRS) hosts and develops research projects that examine how law, religion, ethics, and social norms shape lived experience, governance, and access to justice. Our projects bring together legal analysis, socio-cultural research, and policy-engaged scholarship, with a strong emphasis on gender justice, inclusion, and social change.

Below are the current projects based at, or closely affiliated with, the Centre:

FATIHA: Faith-Inclusive and Culturally Competent Responses to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

FATIHA is a national research project based at the Centre for Law, Religion and Society, School of Law, University of Galway. Running from 2025 to 2027, the project is funded under the Research Ireland COALESCE programme through a dedicated Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence research strand established in partnership with CUAN, Ireland’s national agency for DSGBV.

The project examines how Muslim and migrant women in Ireland experience domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) systems, and how responses can be made more accessible, culturally competent, and effective. It addresses well-documented gaps in existing DSGBV responses by focusing on the intersection of gender, religion, migration, and access to justice, and by centring the lived experiences of victim-survivors.

The research combines legal and policy analysis with qualitative, trauma-informed methods, including engagement with women, frontline practitioners, and organisational stakeholders. It aims to contribute to an evidence-informed national response to DSGBV, producing insights relevant to policy development, service design, and practitioner guidance.

Principal Investigator: Prof. Roja Fazaeli
Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Afrooz Maghzi
Project Manager: Dr. Sanja Bilić

BILQIS: Building Conceptual and Methodological Expertise for the Study of Gender, Agency, and Authority in Islam

BILQIS is a five-year (2023-2028) European Research Council Consolidator Grant housed at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. BILQIS investigates Muslim women’s access to justice in Europe. It provides a foundational intellectual and institutional base for the Centre’s work. Find out more about BILQIS here: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/bilqis/ and https://substack.com/@bilqisprojectblog/posts